


Friends

by LuckyIzzy



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, F/F, High School, Hint of Emotional Manipulation, Ironstrange Marriage, M/M, Mention Of Homophobia, Mention of Molestation, Mention of abuse, Past Relationship(s), Pining, TONY AND STEPHEN GETS MARRIED YAY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-12 04:29:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15987635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyIzzy/pseuds/LuckyIzzy
Summary: Pepper Potts and Christine Palmer's last night on their last school trip.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Friends by Ed Sheeran. The second chapter contains Ironstrange marriage.

It was ….in one word, weird. She felt tingly as she stared at the ceiling of the foreign hotel room without a trace of sleep in her heart. It was the last night of their last school trip. A few more months were left of their time together. Christine besides her was silent, but from her breathe, Pepper could tell she wasn't sleeping. Just before sleeping, she had crawled closer to Christine, bathing in her body warmth and scent. She had even entangled her fingers with hers. Christine always had thought koli was a touchy feely person.

 

She wasn't.  
Just the thought of touching most people gave Pepper nausea- dirty, smelly, not pretty enough.

Christine was different. She wasn't the prettiest person she had ever seen at all. She was decent, she guessed. But there was this urge to touch her- anywhere.

Pepper turned to face Christine, who was facing the wall. Her eyes had gotten used to the dark as she could make her silhouette out clearly, or maybe tonight was a bright night. There was faint light sweeping in through the French doors. 

Pepper snuggled closer to Christine, then encircled her arms around her. Christine flinched, “Pep, get off-” she struggled half heartedly. Pepper tightened her arms, they struggling seized. 

“Really you…” there was a trace of fondness in Christine's huff.

Pepper buried her face into the crook of Christine's neck and inhaled deeply. 

 

Christine didn't really strike as a very ideal person, or even Pepper's type. Pepper wasn't really in love with her, or she didn't even care about Christine a big deal as friends-at least that is what she thought. She wasn't attracted to Christine's body in a lustful way either.

There was the curiosity, and the undeniable urge to explore.

 

_Every inch of her._

 

Pepper could feel they sink of Christine's stomach, moving up and down from every breathe, could hear the heartbeat so very clearly. She hummed in approval and inhaled again. She would better memorize it.

 

Then she pulled up, brought one hand up and caressed Christine's neck, who shivered slightly. 

Pepper didn't know when it had begun, since when she wanted to bite Christine's neck and taste the skin, not in a sexual way- but in a way to explore. The crave to explore that led European mariners towards Asia and America.  
Now in that dim room, with just the two of them, so far away from home, her restraint has disappeared. It felt like a dream. She felt like she had a delectable Chocolate cake in front of her that she wasn't eating. She did whatever her instincts led her to-

She bit down.

 

Immediately, Christine shoved and sat up, she yelled weakly , “What are you doing?” There was a faint blush on her ears.

Pepper looked at Christine like she was the most innocent person on earth- in reality she was far from it - and said, “I.. I wanted to do that for so long.” like it was a valid excuse.

Christine rubbed her temple, “There are many things you can't do just because you want to.”

 

Pepper made her face like she understood nothing, instead intertwined her fingers with Christine once again and leaned on her, “I... I want to touch you.”

Christine pushed her back again, “You are lesbian?”

 

_oops she wasn't, was she? She never understood romantic feelings and didn't really know what was the limit where her attraction towards someone or something ended. Kinsey scale did rate her as equally straight and homosexual._

 

**_She wanted this, she would. It was now or never._ **

“I.. I'm not.”  
Before Christine could open her mouth she continued, her face still very similar to a five year old, “I get the urge to bite you, touch you all over sometimes. But would it make me lesbian?”,she laughed, “Labelling strikes again.” After a telltale pause she mentioned carefully, “I just want to know everything about you.”

 

_lies._

But it worked.Christine was speechless. Pepper rubbed her hands, kissed them lightly and put those long elegant fingers into her mouth, tasting.

_It might have been the urge to ruin something pure. It might have been just an experiment to see Christine's reaction. It might have been an objectification of someone. What she knew for sure was, she wasn't in love. She was lying. It might be wrong and disgusting._

_But Pepper wanted this._

_Her mind tentatively told her she might have been manipulating her and cackled. She pointedly ignored the low, sarcastic voice in her head. She couldn't do so for long though._

She hugged Christine, kissed her forehead, smelled her hair. Then licked and nipped her earlobe for a while. It was nice. She wanted to bite hard, but that might just scare Christine off.

 

She wondered what would be like if Christine did tell her parents or even a classmate about this. But it was okay. What's the worst that could happen? She could lie again and make it sound like it happened vice versa. People would believe her, right? Even if they didn't, they would be confused. 

 

But still she decided to stay on the safe side. 

 

She rested her forehead on Christine's and looked deep into her eyes.

She was always uncomfortable staring into someone else's eyes, but she had to. She said softly, her expression vulnerable, “What happens here, stays here right? I feel like we've come to a place so away from reality that were can never return.” she softly chuckled, a fake one, but no-one so far had managed to differentiate her real ones from fake ones, “Maybe it'd be good. Then we could be together forever.”  
Christine inhaled sharply.  
Pepper continued, “I... It's just our secret, that nobody can step on, just you and me, away from the world!”  
Christine looked dazed, she nodded. 

Pepper kissed Christine, who sat still. Pepper worked her Lips. Then pulled back.

“Open your mouth and stick your tongue out,” Pepper didn't really expect Christine's to comply but she did. She tasted her tongue with her own. It was warm and sleek. Didn't taste bad,not too great either. It tasted of the toothpaste and faintly of dinner and there was Christine's own taste in it. She wondered what Christine was feeling. Kissing was not bad and she could continue but the position didn't really allow her to watch Christine's face. She pulled back, pushed Christine down on the mattress and went back to tending to her throat, and playing with her fingers. She figured she probably had a throat appreciation and finger appreciation fetish. Then after much nipping and biting. She worked down the collarbone before the T-shirt got in the way.

 

She tugged the clothe apprehensively, “It's getting in the way, can I take this off?”

Christine looked like she was breathless. It gave Pepper the urge to wrap here slender neck and squeeze it until Christine's face turned purple and she passed out. She didn't. Instead she licked her throat again. 

 

“We're doing something very bad,” Christine stated. She didn't really try to get up though.

Pepper shrugged, “It's all relative. Define bad.”

“Whatever we're doing.”

“If you think so...with our mouths shut, who do you think will found out? The world has worse things and more worrying problems.”

“Maybe we should stop.”

“Or we could stay silent. It'll be our secret that we can't tell anyone else. In a way, wouldn't that make us closer, maybe we would even belong to each other.”

“We're friends.” Christine said out of the blue.

“But I never attempted or wanted to attempt such things with anyone but you.”

 

_Finally some truth._

 

“Please,” Pepper begged.

She pulled the offending piece of clothing over her head, revealing Christine’s camisole underneath. Before Christine could have second thoughts she pulled them off over her head too. 

There was the beautiful expanse of flesh. not beautiful in the aesthetics sense really. Still was. What more could Pepper do than to lean down and lavish it with her tongue and saliva. She put her face on her cleavage and inhaled again. Before continuing to lap at one of the breasts as her fingers played with another, rubbing circles with the slightest bit of pressure.

_once a man had molested her. He was doing that, he could not locate the nipple really. Even if he could she highly doubted she would have felt anything but disgust. Pleasure might be 90%- Scratch that, 99% psychological after all unless maybe the bloke had a face of narcissus and skill of a sex god._

Well, it looked like Christine was enjoying it though, if the moans were anything to go by. She felt Christine's fingers come up to cup her face and then pulled her up for a kiss. That was the first time that night Christine initiated something. Pepper marked it an achievement. Christine's tongue hesitantly tasted Pepper's too. 

Pepper then went back to tend to Christine's torso. Her right index finger went down to rub her belly button and Christine shivered. 

 

She didn't why but she suddenly stopped to put her head on Christine's breast and listened to her speeding heartbeats. It was calming. She sighed deeply. Christine's hands slowly reached up and patted Koli's head, once... twice. None of them were saying any word, as if one syllable would be enough to break the spell they had fallen under.

 

Pepper liked people she liked touching her head. Her scalp was sensitive and she would very much prefer if Christine decided to run her artistic fingers through her hair and tug. But she couldn't ask. She couldn't ask more than what she was already getting. 

Before some self hate came to get her, she raised herself and caressed Christine's sides, sniffing down and tracing Christine's stomach. 

 

She had to memorize this.

Then she reached the waistband of then capri pants Christine was wearing, she looked at her, wordless. Christine nodded slightly. Pepper pulled those off. 

She wasn't disappointed, Christine's legs were as nice as she had fantasised about- if not nicer.  
As her shaking hands trailed on the skin, she felt hindered by uneven skin on her thighs. 

They were scars. 

She knew Christine's parents abused her whenever she let them down, scored even 1% lower than they wished. Yet she never blamed them. She always worked diligently. 

Ah, so many reason Pepper was wrong to want Christine like this. So many reasons Pepper should just stop and lay herself down at Christine's feet,apologizing. 

_She just leaned down and mouthed those scars, licking them. As if her saliva could make them disappear._

Christine's panties had a damn spot. It felt like the last piece of a frustrating puzzle. She hurriedly pulled them off too. Christine didn't protest. She just laid there, with glazed stare. 

Then there was Christine naked and completely undone. Pepper just wanted to have her framed like that and keep on touching every bit of her. 

_Who was she kidding when she thought she would be fine with this one night? it would never be enough until she had memorized each and every bit of her._

But she would have to make peace. She touched and traced the outer layer of her genitalia, feeling the heat and wetness. 

“How can you do all this?”  
Pepper flinched when Christine spoke after staying silent for so long. There was no accusation in her tone, just curiosity. 

Pepper shrugged, “Instincts.” 

Lies lies lies.  
She had spent a major part of entire last year fantasising about this to an unhealthy level and she did her search in the internet enough. But Christine didn't need to know that.

Then she tasted her fingers, a bit salty. Nothing she couldn't handle. She held Atri's thighs apart and licked a stripe over her vagina. Her body immediately rejected the taste. 

But Christine had sat up immediately, with the slight yell, “What are you doing Pepper?” 

“It's okay,” Pepper stroked her thighs.  
“That’s not very hygienic,” Christine frowned.  
Pepper snorted, “You think doctor?” 

Christine's frowned deeper, “I didn't even get in a medical college yet.” 

“You will,” Pepper pecked her thigh. 

“You don't know that.” 

“I do know you,” Then she leant in and licked again. 

Christine moaned, then blushed deeper and pulled Pepper off, “It's dirty.” 

Pepper chuckled, “Can't deny, but I don't think my immunity system is not so weak I'll get sick with this.” 

“Feels..weird,” Christine shifted. 

“That is interesting, because it probably also feels good.” 

Christine still had Pepper's locks in her palm. 

“Once in your life, don't lecture me and let me handle something." 

_Personally saying, letting her handle would be a bad decision._

Christine stared at Pepper for five seconds, then resigned herself and flopped down on the bed. Pepper went back to tasting the offending foreign taste. 

_she didn't really like doing it. But she needed to memorize it all. She had been granted one night and she had to use it for good._

Christine sighed and whimpered and clutched the sheet. Pepper wished Christine would clutch on her hair instead. Christine’s legs wrapped around Pepper, who slightly felt constricted. She self deprecatingly laughed internally, “Virginia Potts, death from asphyxiation when going oral on her ‘friend’. 

It was…. stimulating. Pepper touched her own groin to find it all damp and rubbed her legs together. _She wanted more, she wanted what she couldn't have._

She merely made a mental note to change her panties when she got up. 

She sucked on the clit as her tongue mimicked the way she remembered having a ice-cream.  
Then Christine suddenly pulled her back by her hair, “Please tell me you haven't done it with-” There was desperation and plead in her voice. 

“No no no no it's only you,” Pepper cut in. 

“I don't believe you.” 

“I'm not exactly trusted but I swear.” 

Pepper didn't know why she did what she did, she raised herself and wrapped herself around Christine, tightly. 

Christine patted her, “Aren't you going to continue?” 

“No... don't want to hurt you,” Pepper's voice was muffled as her face was buried in Christine's neck. Her nose itched from the hair but she ignored it. 

Christine chuckled, “Yeah, there's this layer called hymen, for the first time of penetration this breaks and bleeds, it's supposed to hurt. Good thing you didn't try that. It would be awkward to explain the blood on the sheets.” 

Pepper pulled away, surprised, “How do you even know this?” Last time she checked, Christine was the most innocent person she knew. 

Christine snorted, “I'm studying for medics you do realize, of course I know that.” 

Then both of them fell silent.  
Soon Christine felt asleep. Her arms around Pepper fell at her sides. 

Christine was an early bird who usually couldn't stay awake after 10. Pepper reached out to check her phone by her pillow, 3:42 AM. If she went to sleep now, she would get around 2 hours of sleep, they had to return home tomorrow, _back to reality_

Pepper raised herself up. She had no trouble moving around the room when her eyes had gotten used to the dark. She wet a flannel shirt of hers with water from the bathroom. It was cold, and Christine might go down with a cold but she didn't really think Christine would appreciate waking up reeking on saliva and slightly sticky, well she would not have herself. 

She gently wiped her body with the water, Christine didn't move, she was deeply asleep. Then dried her with towel and put a shirt and shorts on her. She wondered if she was dreaming. If she was...was she dreaming about her? 

She pushed the thought aside. Instead went to the bathroom, and took a chilling shower. She washed both of their panties while she was at it. She focused on the sound of running water instead of the oppressing thoughts invading her mind. 

Pepper got out, she didn't think she could wear her nightwear again. Instead she picked up the over-sized shirt she luckily had packed and a fresh undergarment and slipped beside Christine. She kissed her dimples lightly. 

She couldn't sleep, she didn't sleep. She wanted to stare at Christine's face for as long as she could. She combed through Christine's disheveled curls. 

Soon school would be over and they would go their separate ways. Christine to a medical college and Pepper to a- she did not know. All they have worked to build together for years would be destroyed. 

She imagined Christine and she being 'girlfriends’. She snorted as she imagined her parents throwing a tantrum and probably attempting to exorcise her. She imagined all the classmates poking fun at them, teasing them and treating them with undisguised disgust. She also imagined Christine telling that to her parents, she shivered to think. No.. Christine didn't deserve that, not for someone like her.  
When they were both awake again, away from this dream and back to the reality they would pretend this never happened, at least, Pepper would. They would be friends having fun with each other and continue with their life and drift apart, further and further each day until they snapped every single string connecting them. 

She thought who she would be to Christine in future. A girl she kissed in high school? The best friend she experimented with in high school? The girl she was secretly in love with all along?  
That was some far fetching ideas and wistful thinking. 

Instead she wondered whether she was in love.  
Did wanted to be with Christine forever?- She didn't know.  
Was she only attracted to Christine? - Not really.  
Did being with Christine give her goosebumps and butterflies in stomach?- Not really.  
Would she be jealous if Christine was with someone else, having fun?- She wouldn't, would she? She wasn't Christine's lover, and not very ideal friend. She had no reason to be, had she? 

As the outside world lighted up, Pepper fell into the sweet embrace of sleep. Just before the other her whispered to her, 

_You need to find a definition of love just for yourself, then._

She smiled. 


	2. More Than Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper and Christine meet again, on the day of Stark-Strange wedding.

Pepper clapped her hands as she watched Tony and Stephen on the chapel. She was happy. She was happy for Tony. She had always thought of Tony as her most precious friend. Stephen was way, way better suited to be with Tony than she was. Tony really had gone through enough to last three lifetimes, he needed someone who could share his heart with. That person could not be Pepper, even if she had wanted to.    
  
When she hooked up with Tony, it had been hurried, a desperate attempt on both of their parts. Now it was all cleared up. She sighed with content as she watched them exchange their vows and kiss.    
  
She had to arrange so much for this, the newspaper, paparazzi, tabloids had gone bananas over this marriage. Despite angry backlashes, there were much more support. She appreciated those, she knew Tony did too.    
  
All the sleepless night and backache was worth it to see this day. Honestly she had thought she would be the first one to get married, yet here she was.    
  
She waved at Rhodey, who was awkwardly standing. She did not mind that Rhodey was Tony’s bestman. She knew Tony appreciated her as much as he could. She smiled faintly.   
  
Shit, she better not be tearing up like an old lady watching her son get married.    
  
  
Speaking of marriage…..   
  
Her eyes drifted to the beautiful lady in red standing on the other side, her hair tied in a neat bun.    
  
_ Christine Palmer. _   
  
Had not she got married? She knew Stephen and Christine used to date in the past and close enough that Stephen had chosen her as best maid. She did not tell Tony that she knew Christine.    
  
  
She wondered whether Christine remembered her.   
  
Of course she did. World really was small. Then she wondered whether Christine had seen all the news about Tony and her, and also vaguely wondered what she had thought.   
  
An unknown, oppressing emotion flowed in her mind.

* * *

 

It was the after party reception.    
  
She might have been to nostalgic, feeling the age creeping over her. She would soon be some catty old hag.  _ Bye youth, bye young hearts, bye impulsive actions she regretted all her life. _   
  
  
“I would strongly suggest against taking that glass.”   
  
Pepper turned about sharply to see Christine standing just behind her, with a faint smile playing upon her lips,  _ the lips she had kissed all those years ago. _ She pushed aside those thoughts along with the fourth glass of cocktail.   
  
  
Christine sat beside her silently. She did not order anything though.   
  
  
After a silent five minutes, Pepper spoke up, “What now?”   
  
Christine laughed, “You tell me.”   
  
“I say,” Pepper slurred, “If we give ‘us’ a go?” Even drunk Pepper knew it was a horrible idea. She immediately wished she could take it back. She could hear her own heartbeat.   
  
Christine did not say anything.   
  
Instead she reached out and interlinked her fingers with Christine’s.    
  
Pepper smiled and leant on Christine.    
  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I continue...or nope?

**Author's Note:**

> My first time writing F/F pairing. Let me know of any typos or mistakes (Write part of it on phone).  
> Much love <3


End file.
